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Vaibhav Suryavanshi's Tale Of Sacrifice: How The 14-Year-Old Traded Mutton For Milestones

Soumyajit Dutta

Vaibhav Suryavanshi [Source: @SportsCulture24/X]Vaibhav Suryavanshi [Source: @SportsCulture24/X]

At an age when most teenagers are navigating school pressures and pizza cravings, Vaibhav Suryavanshi from Samastipur, Bihar, has rewritten history. On Saturday, the 14-year-old became the youngest player ever to grace IPL, delivering a debut performance that blended raw talent with fearless ambition.

Born in 2011, when India last clinched the Cricket World Cup, Vaibhav’s journey began in the humblest of settings. His father, Sanjeev, a farmer, noticed his son’s precocious talent at age four, as Vaibhav demolished plastic balls with startling power. 

The Mindset And The Toil

After toiling in the fields, Sanjeev would bowl underarm to his son in their makeshift backyard pitch. Recognizing his potential, he invested in a car to ferry Vaibhav 90 km to Patna for training, first under coach Brajesh Jha and later Manish Ojha, who sharpened his skills into a “mix of Yuvraj Singh’s aggression and Brian Lara’s elegance.”

Sacrifices and Discipline

Vaibhav Suryavanshi's rise demanded sacrifices beyond gruelling practice. He bid farewell to his beloved mutton and pizza, staples replaced by a strict diet to hone his athleticism. “He’d devour mutton no matter how much we gave him. Now, he’s focused,” Ojha chuckled, noting the teen’s “chubby” frame belies his relentless drive.

A Dream Debut

The Rajasthan Royals, who secured him for ₹1.1 crore in 2024, handed Vaibhav his debut against Lucknow Super Giants. The call came at 8 PM the night before, leaving the teen “elated but tense.” 

Walking out with Yashasvi Jaiswal, he silenced any doubts by smashing Shardul Thakur for a soaring six over cover. “Chakke waala ball ayega to marunga, rukunga nahi” (If the ball asks for a six, I won’t hold back) Vaibhav said earlier before his innings. His 34 off 20 balls, including three sixes, ended in tears after a stumping by Rishabh Pant.

The Mind of a Maverick

Vaibhav’s audacity stems from practice sessions where he’d chase hypothetical targets like “60 runs in 6 overs” with clinical precision. “He’d finish it with balls to spare,” Ojha revealed. His idol, Rahul Dravid—whom he “worships like a god”—has been a pillar of support, mentoring him through the highs and lows.

Already a veteran of five first-class matches for Bihar, Vaibhav’s dominance in tournaments like the Vinoo Mankad Trophy and ACC U-19 Asia Cup foreshadowed his IPL breakthrough. While his emotional exit moved fans, Ojha assures this is just the beginning, “He’ll score big soon.”

As Vaibhav trades mutton for milestones, his story transcends cricket, a testament to grit, family sacrifice, and the audacity to dream.